Narooma Boats Afloat Festival returns November 17-19

The 16^th Boats Afloat Festival will have the usually tranquil Wagonga Inlet a flurry of activity as around 40 owners of mostly wooden traditional boats take to the water to show off their beloved boats.

The boats come from Victoria, Canberra and NSW as far north as Port Stephens.

It is three days of catching up, reminiscing and comparing notes on repairs and restorations.

They will have a welcome barbecue at the club's boat shed on Friday November 17, plus morning tea on the water and dinner at Club Narooma on Saturday.

The dinner is when the Malcolm McKay Award for the best boat is presented.

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Members of the public can wander around Narooma Marina on Saturday afternoon for a close up look at the boats as many of them will be moored there.

Tilba's Jazz Alley will be playing at the nearby cafe on the marina.

The four-piece band's members include Bev Long on banjo/vocal and tap and her husband Stew Long on tea chest bass.

Mr Long is also a member of Narooma Boats Afloat.

He is the proud owner of the oldest boat in the area, 113-year old Chug, originally a crayfish dinghy from Tasmania.

His other boat, Huon Islander, is 95-years old and was the Bruny Island ferry.

The biggest spectacle is the Grand Parade when the boats set off around 10.30am on Sunday, led by the winner of the best boat award.

They will make their way across Wagonga Inlet and under the bridge to do a few laps around Mill Way.

Good viewing points include the boardwalk and the bridge.

They will be hoping the ocean gods are more benevolent than last year.

Heavy rain, lightning and an unfavourable tide prevented the parade from going ahead.

Narooma Boats Afloat has around 15 to 20 members.

Rick Leeds said they do not often get new members.

"Trying to get good timber for the boats is hard these days, as is finding people willing to work on them and look after them," Mr Leeds said.

"It is expensive and time-consuming looking after them," he said.

The majority of the timber is Huon timber from Tasmania.

"You can only retrieve logs that were felled 100 years ago and only three or four companies are permitted to remove the logs," Mr Leeds said.

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